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Table 3 Summary of reported coping mechanisms and strategies among nursing students in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries

From: Perceived stress, stressors, and coping strategies among nursing students in the Middle East and North Africa: an overview of systematic reviews

Coping mechanism (number of primary studies)

Coping strategy

Specific coping strategy (primary studies)

Problem-focused (n = 19)

Active coping

Problem solving (n = 11) [70, 72, 74, 75, 81, 85, 91, 92, 95, 97, 98]

Taking action to try to make the situation better (n = 2) [106, 107]

Problem-focused coping (n = 1) [108]

Problem understanding and solving (n = 2) [107, 109]

Solving family problems (n = 1) [110]

Self-reliance (n = 1) [110]

Did what is expected of me (n = 1) [76]

Tension reduction (n =1) [108]

Self-analysis to understand the situation better (n = 1) [76]

Unspecified (n = 1) [111]

Planning

Planning strategy (n = 1) [71]

Suppression of competing activities

Engaging in demanding activities (n = 1) [110]

Restraint coping

Passive coping (n = 1) [94]

Seeking social support for instrumental reasons

Asking others for help (n = 1) [109]

Seeking diversions (n = 1) [110]

Developing social support (n = 1) [110]

Emotion-focused (n = 20)

Seeking social support for emotional reasons

Unspecified (n = 1) [108]

Discuss feeling with friends or classmates (n = 1) [76]

Positive reinforcement and growth

Positive reframing (n = 2) [71, 107]

Focusing on the positive (n = 1) [108]

Wishful thinking (n = 3) [73, 107, 108]

Staying optimistic (n = 11) [72, 74, 75, 81, 83, 85, 92, 95, 97, 98, 112]

Acceptance

Unspecified (n = 2) [71, 111]

Accept the situation (n = 2) [69, 76]

Turning to religion

Practicing religion (n = 1) [111]

Prying or mediating (n = 1) [106]

Finding comfort in religion or spiritual beliefs (n = 1) [106]

Religious related strategies come first (n = 1) [71]

Use of religion, prayer, invocation (n = 2) [69, 109]

Dysfunctional coping (n = 17)

Focus on and venting of emotions

Venting (n = 1) [71]

Show their feelings and express their reaction (n = 2) [107, 109]

Ventilating feelings (n = 1) [110]

Self-blaming (n = 1) [71]

Self-criticism (n = 1) [73]

Behavioral disengagement

Unspecified (n = 1) [71]

Social withdrawal (n = 1) [73]

Avoidance (n = 9) [72,73,74, 85, 92, 97, 98, 107, 112]

Mental disengagement

Become involved in other activities (n = 1) [76]

Detachment (n = 1) [108]

Transference (n = 9) [72, 74, 75, 83, 92, 95, 97, 98, 112]

Physical exercise and relaxation (n = 1) [109]

Denial

Unspecified (n = 1) [71]

  1. The coping mechanisms were classified as per the COPE inventory tool [62, 113, 114]
  2. n Number of individual primary studies